Locally shot 'March Sisters' comes to Lifetime

PRINCETON 
Romantic and au courant, Director John Stimpson's retelling of Louisa May Alcott's “Little Women” is the film to see during the holiday season.

“The March Sisters at Christmas” was filmed in Grafton, Concord and various sites in Worcester last summer — including Nick's Bar and Restaurant, the Printer's Building and Elwood Adams Hardware — and features two-time daytime Emmy Award winner Julie Marie Berman of “General Hospital” as Jo March.

“It's the classic, beloved story about relationships between sisters; the love story of Jo and the boy next door and Jo writing the story of her family. Touching and charming, it's a true family Christmas movie. My wife Carolyn was crying 20 minutes into the movie and never stopped,” said Stimpson, a resident of Princeton.

Set in 2012 in Concord, the movie was shot in a home in Grafton; the adaption of the classic story written by Los Angeles-based scriptwriter Jennifer Maisel.

“In our story, the March family has lived in Orchard House in Concord for generations, and the house is run-down. The father is a war correspondent and is injured in Afghanistan. The mother, Margaret, must leave, and while in Afghanistan, drops a bomb on the girls — Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy. The house must be sold. The girls are determined to renovate the house for their parents' homecoming,” said Stimpson.

The sisters go through trials and tribulations, true to the classic tale. Stimpson promises that everyone will be delighted by the film and calls it an “ultimate chick flick.”

“The March Sisters at Christmas” premieres on the Lifetime Network's “It's a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday blitz at 8 p.m. Nov. 24, replaying again at midnight and at 5 p.m. Nov. 25, and continuing in rotation through the Christmas season.

“Lifetime likes what we are doing, it's our third movie with them. It's great making little independent movies right here in Massachusetts, finding a niche and having a product viewed worldwide. It's a risky business, but we have found a model that really is working, keeping production costs down, and making money for our investors,” said Stimpson.

Thinking ahead, Stimpson knew that he would need winter scenes for his movie.

“We got footage of Concord about the third week of March during a late winter snowstorm. It was beautiful! We really started filming in the middle of summer and had actors bundled up in winter clothes and sweating,” he said, laughing.

Aided by a giant air conditioning unit, the actors were kept relatively comfortable, even in the attic of the house during filming.

“One of our biggest challenges was the green trees and the look of summertime. It was supposed to be a time between Halloween and Christmas. It's remarkable what you can do with digital effects and videography these days,” said Stimpson who edited the film.